Blue Tears
by Kat500
Summary: ZoeShane This is set five years after the movie. Zoe finds herself in a bad relationship, can Shane save her before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

Zoë watched as the blue sedan drove away from her house; tears slowly falling down her cheeks and beneath her chin. She didn't even try to brush the warm drops away, there was no reason to. The pain she was feeling deserved the company of her tears and she welcomed them with open arms. Closing the door she turned and walked passed her brother and sister who sat clinging to one another on the living room couch; they said nothing to her and she returned the gesture. Climbing the stairs on weak legs she found her way into the bathroom and looked into a reflection she did not recognize. The face she once knew as hers was now bruised and bloody from the beating she had taken from her boyfriend. She had been with him for two years and refused to accept the truth of their relationship. Both Lulu and Seth tried to convince her to leave him but she would argue and tell them he didn't mean it and that he would change; that she could change him.

Tonight was the first time Lulu and Seth had witnessed Zoë's abuse and Seth tried to save her, but Jake had locked the bedroom door; ignoring the pleas coming from the other side of the door. When Zoë heard Seth's threat to call the cops she screamed for him not to; she loved Jake and couldn't stand the thought of him going to jail. She believed that deep down he was a good man and going to jail wouldn't help bring that out of him.

As the memory of earlier flooded her mind, Zoë collapsed to the cold tile floor of the bathroom and cried. The short shallow breaths sent a stabbing pain through her ribcage where Jake had kicked her repeatedly; causing her to cry even harder. As the tears subsided her mind wandered back five years ago, when a man entered her life and changed it forever. She was furious for him leaving them, in her mind Shane Wolfe didn't care for her or her siblings. They were just another mission to him and that was it, once his mission was over he left without warning one night while they slept. Zoë remembered waking up the morning Shane had left to find a note on the kitchen counter that said only one thing: '_Goodbye_'.

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Zoë awoke the next morning to find Lulu standing over her with fresh tear streaks on her cheeks. Examining her surrounding it came to Zoë's attention that she had fallen asleep on the bathroom floor. Slowly sitting up, she gripped her forehead in the process when a searing pain flowed over her head.

"Lulu…" Zoë said groggily as she held a hand out to her sister, with a disgusted look on her face Lulu turned and stormed out of the bathroom; causing Zoë to jump when the door to Lulu's room was slammed shut.

"Lulu?" Zoë knocked softly on her sister's door, slowly opening it when she got no answer. Lying on her bed with her face in the pillow, Lulu wept for her sister. Zoë sat down on the bed and gently placed a hand on her back.

Quickly sitting up from her sister's touch, Lulu stared into Zoë's eyes in search of something. What that was, she wasn't sure herself. Hope, maybe, that Zoë's eyes would open up to the life she was living.

"Can't you see what he's doing to you?" Lulu asked as she brushed a stray hair from Zoë's face.

Zoë couldn't believe how much her sister had grown through the years, she was now thirteen but she acted much older. And it was the small touch Lulu gave her that made her realize this and she pulled her into a hug and cried along with her.

After her crying session with Lulu, Zoë climbed into a hot shower and let the small drops prick her skin. Even the slight touch of the water made her body scream in pain, but she ignored them as she washed herself clean. After an hour in the shower she examined her body in the mirror, cringing at the sight. She had huge bruises all over her abdomen and on her arms where Jake had gripped her to throw her against a wall; she also had a split lip and a black eye. Wrapping a towel around her body she quickly ran into her room, slamming the door behind her. She couldn't let anybody see her this way and with that thought she rummaged through her closet to find any long sleeved shirts and jeans. With success she quickly put them on and with a final look in the mirror and a pair of sunglasses left her room to face her family and the rest of the world.

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_One Week Later_

Zoë sat on the couch flipping through a fashion magazine when Lulu came running in with a piece of paper in her hand. Pouncing on the cushion next to Zoë, she shoved the paper in her face with a huge smile on her face.

"Lulu, what the…" Zoë started to object until she saw the handwriting on the paper. Shutting up to read the letter her face began to get whiter and whiter with each word she read.

It was a letter from Shane saying he was coming back to visit and Zoë couldn't believe the timing. She didn't live at home anymore but she was there to watch over Seth, Lulu and Tyler until her mother got back from her three week business trip. She knew she was in trouble if Shane ever found out about Jake, quickly dropping her hand in her lap she looked at Lulu in a panic.

"You cannot, and I mean cannot tell Shane about Jake and what's been happening you got it!" Zoë demanded.

"What? Why?" That was the main reason Lulu was happy about Shane returning, surely he could save Zoë from Jake and herself. No one else could, he was their only hope.

"You… you just can't okay!" Zoë jumped from the couch and headed for the kitchen, she didn't want to have this conversation, and she always hated it when Lulu or Seth brought it up.

"Zoë, you've got to get help! It's only a matter of time before he ends up killing you and scared!"

With those words, Zoë stopped abruptly only to turn and face her sister. There were mixed emotions flowing through both Zoë and Lulu's eyes as they stared at each other. Lulu's chin began to quiver as she tried to fight back the tears that yearned to fall, causing the same thing to happen with Zoë.

"That's not going to happen, Lulu."

"Yes it will. He's not going to change Zoë and you know it! You're just too thick headed to realize that!"

"I love him Lulu and he loves me. He would never do that!"

"Really, because he has absolutely no problem in hitting you, if he loved you he couldn't hurt you because it would hurt him too!" Lulu screamed.

The only response Lulu got was Zoë retreating from her only to stop once more at the sound of their doorbell ringing. He couldn't possible be here, it just seemed way too soon. They just now got the letter, unless he planned it that way. In a panic she turned to Lulu and was afraid by the look in her eyes. In a race to the door, Zoë reached it first and pressed her back to it with her hand on the knob.

"Move," Lulu growled and Zoë shook her head. Again, the doorbell rang; causing Zoë to jump and look up as if in search of the source. Using the distraction to her advantage, Lulu shoved her out of the way. Screaming in pain Zoë clutched her ribs, they were still sore from the beating and she figured they were either bruised or cracked. The bruises on her stomach and chest had faded some, but they were still clearly visible.

Gripping the doorknob, Lulu pulled the door open; a smile spreading across her face as Shane stood in front of her. She quickly wrapped her arms around his waist and gripped him like a vice; laughing Shane hugged her back.

"Lulu?" He asked as he pulled her away from him to get a better look.

"Yep."

"How old are you now?"

"Thirteen." Lulu's smile got wider with each sentence past.

"Wow," was Shane's only response as he entered the house. His eyes instantly landed on Zoë and he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. His smile slowly faded when he noticed her slightly hunched over with her arms around her ribs.

"Zoë, you okay?"

"Just fine," Zoë answered bitterly before heading up the stairs to lock herself in her room for the rest of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed this, and I apologize immensely for the long wait. The problem was, for some reason, I lost interest in this story after just the first chapter. I'm not sure why, it just happened. But, just the other night I saw The Pacifier on tv and got the sudden urge to work on this story again, so here's the second chapter and I think I'll make a weekly update, maybe that'll help me keep my sanity with posting. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I once again apologize for the horribly long wait. I hope I don't disappoint in this chapter.

**Chapter Two**

She ran through the forest as fast as her aching feet would allow; not looking back for fear of seeing him behind her. The debris of bark and thorns bit at the flesh on her bare feet with each step she took; the pain screamed at her to stop, but she refused to give in. Zoe gripped her torn blouse close to her body as she ran, ignoring the trees that seemed to grab at her face and hair. Her mind was set on only one thing and that was finding safety. Her mother's house was nearby and she was determined to get there. Zoe released a small scream as a branch scratched at her face, leaving a small cut on her right cheek bone.

Her hopes were lifted when she stumbled into a ditch that met the roadway and she scrambled up onto the asphalt, running in the direction of her mother's house; tears now streaming full force down her face. After what seemed like an eternity she now found herself standing in front of her destination; a sigh of relief escaped her lips as her sore feet met the cool grass of her front lawn. Hoping beyond hope that no one was home, she let herself inside and slowly closed the door behind her. As quietly as she could, Zoe pulled herself up the stairs with help from the railing; cringing at the blood left behind from her feet. Zoe made a mental note to clean it up once she was done with herself.

As she made it to the top landing, her feet froze in place at the sounds coming from Lulu's room. She gripped the railing to steady her balance when the bedroom door was swung open and Shane jumped out with Lulu right behind him. They were sword fighting with a set of bat-mitten rackets and Shane had a smile from ear to ear. Gripping the railing even tighter, Zoe looked around for a means of escape before she was noticed and the only place was down; she figured she wouldn't be able to make it without falling. As she stared down in debate, Zoe heard her name in the rough voice that could only belong to Shane; causing her to whip her head in his direction.

"God, what happened to you?" he asked as he took a few steps towards her. Zoe fidgeted with her hair and tried to avoid the pity looks on Shane and Lulu's face.

"Zoe?"

Zoe quickly looked into the eyes of her sister and saw pain along with fear flow through them; she knew what Lulu was thinking, but she couldn't and wouldn't bring it up in front of Shane. Zoe had absolutely no intention on telling him what was going on and she planned on keeping it that way.

"Nothing, I just - I need to clean up," Zoe finally answered as she limped her way to the bathroom and just as she suspected he would, Shane blocked her way.

"Shane, please move," she begged as she put her weight on the banister surrounding the stairs.

"Not until you tell me what happened to you," Shane slowly placed both hands on her shoulders to help steady her and she grimaced in pain.

"It was Jake, wasn't it?" Lulu asked.

"Lulu!!" Zoe snapped at her sister and pulled herself out of Shane's grasp, ignoring the shooting pain that flowed throughout her entire body.

"What? He needs to know Zoe!!"

"Zoe tell me what's going on," Shane stepped in, determined to get to the bottom of whatever was going on with Zoe.

"No!! It's none of your business Shane. Just because after five years you come back into our lives, doesn't mean you can boss us around again! It's my life, and my life does not have you in it." Zoe's words struck something in Shane he didn't even know he had; they were feelings towards her, feelings he didn't think he could have for her. She was just a kid, at least she was when he left five years ago; but it was obvious she had grown. It was also obvious that she had gotten herself into trouble, and he was going to try and help no matter what it took.

Just as Zoe was about to walk into the bathroom, Shane grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. His face was stern but his eyes were gentle as he held her by both arms.

"Let go of me!" She shrieked as she struggled against his grasp but failed miserably.

"No, not until you tell me what the hell is going on," his voice was calm and collected; he wanted to show her that she didn't have to be afraid of him.

"I can't," she whispered while shaking her head, fighting back tears that yearned to fall.

"Zoe, is this Jake guy doing this to you?"

"No," she lied and she did it without looking in his eyes. She couldn't bare to see what lay within them; she had a feeling it was pity and sympathy.

"Zoe," Shane's voice was stern and low; he was determined to break her, no matter how much it hurt both him and Zoe.

"NO!" She screamed as she pounded on his chest with closed fists, Shane flinched only slightly as her fists came down upon him; if this was what it took to get through to her then sure, he'd take a beating.

Her punches became few and far between with each hit until she found herself wrapped in Shane's arms on the floor, his hands rubbing her back to calm her sobs as he cradled her back and forth. She still wasn't ready to tell him, but at least she could cry on his shoulder just this once and after that night she swore she wouldn't let him see her weakness again. The disappointment in his eyes would be too unbearable and it just wasn't something she could handle.

* * *

Zoe awoke the next morning to find herself tucked tightly under her covers, the bright sun shining down on her face. Her head ached from all the crying she had done the night before and her feet throbbed in pain. 

"Ready to tell me what's going on?" Zoe heard as she crawled out from under the covers. Allowing a gasp to escape, she turned her head in the direction of the voice.

She found Shane sitting in a chair near the foot of her bed; his elbows resting on the arms of the chair with his hands clasped in front of his face and his right ankle resting on the knee of his left leg.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Zoe. You've gotten yourself into real trouble," Shane replied as he dropped his hands into his lap.

"I'm fine, Shane. I'm not in any trouble," Zoe stood and stretched out her sore muscles, cringing at the pain throughout her abdomen.

"Yeah? Then what would you call that," Shane was now standing beside Zoe with her arm in his hand near a darkened bruise.

"It's called being clumsy," Zoe replied, pulling her arm out of Shane's grasp.

"Don't lie to me, Zoe!" Shane was becoming impatient with her, but he knew in situations such as this it took time to convince an abused victim they were in trouble.

"What do you care anyway, huh?" Zoe turned to face him, anger clearly written on her face.

"I care," Shane replied in a husky tone, his voice lowering to just above a whisper.

"Really? You could've fooled me! What with being gone for five years!"

Zoe retreated from him, closing her hand around the golden knob of her bedroom door. She had it open only an inch when Shane's hand landed on the white wood, pushing it closed again. Zoe's blue eyes rose up to meet those of Shane's and she could actually see the worry flowing through his brown orbs.

"I care," he said again, his body only mere inches from hers. Zoe mentally battled with herself to keep control; concentrating on keeping her breathing even, but it was difficult with how close Shane was to her.

She wasn't sure when these feelings for him rose, but they were coming out full force now. She could feel the heat resonating from his body he was so close; she swallowed a lump that formed in her throat and opened her mouth to speak.

"Zoe," Shane spoke when he saw her lips twitch with the beginnings of speech.

She looked up at him once again and he saw tears form in her eyes and he fought the urge to pull her to him once again.

"I -- I can't talk about it, Shane. Please, just go." She turned away from him once again and headed back for her bed, resting her head on the pillow she faced her back to him as a sign that she didn't want him there any longer.

Shane opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. So, for the first time he admitted defeat, at least for the time being and exited her room; closing the door lightly behind him.

_Okay, I know not much happened here, but trust me... there will be happenness. I know... not a word, but it is now!! Muhahaha!!_


End file.
